Manchester Arena bombing victim relives attack every day

A mum who lost her finger in the Manchester Arena bombing has said she relives the attack every day.

It comes as a public inquiry has found MI5 missed a significant opportunity to prevent the 2017 bombing.

Twenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

Lisa Bridgett, from Mythno, Gwynedd, was badly injured as she waited to pick up her daughter Ashleigh.

The 50-year-old said she and her daughter "live through [the attack] every day, it will never go away".

The mum lost a finger, broke her right ankle, had shrapnel wounds in her left leg, cheek and nose, and has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Ms Bridgett was standing in the foyer of the arena at around 22:30 BST on 22 May 2017, when the bomb was detonated.

"I knew I was injured, [but] I didn't know the extent of my injuries and I didn't really want to look," she said.

She said she doesn't recall hearing any bang from the explosion, but remembers tensing after feeling a large gust of wind hitting her.

"I walked back into the foyer amongst all the people that were lying on the floor and obviously there was a number of casualties, people screaming."

Ms Bridgett said she then realised she has lost her finger, and while looking for it on the floor she instead found her daughter's car keys.

"Then I was ushered into the inner concourse by a security guard - he told me not to look left. I did look, and it was the remains of Salman Abedi being covered up with a cardboard box."

As a result of her injuries Ms Bridgett has said still has trouble sleeping because she "cannot breathe".

"I have to sleep with my mouth open and then my mouth becomes dry, so I'm waiting to find out if there's another surgery that could possibly take place to make my breathing easier," she said.

"I think all of us will always live with it every single day. Nothing will ever change, it won't go away.

"No amount of money can make anything better."

The Manchester Arena inquiry, published on Thursday, listed a catalogue of recommendations in a bid to help avoid similar atrocities in future.

The inquiry began in September 2020, more than three years after the attack, and was chaired by Sir John Saunders.

Sir John has said MI5 intelligence could have led to suicide bomber Salman Abedi being followed to a car where he stored his explosives.

The head of MI5 has said he was "profoundly sorry" that the security service did not prevent the attack.

In his 207-page report, Sir John said: "The delay in providing the report led to the missing of an opportunity to take a potentially important investigative action.

"Based on everything the security service knew or should have known, I am satisfied that such an investigative action would have been a proportionate and justified step to take.

"This should have happened."